Parliament session begins

The winter session of Parliament has begun and will take up among others the controversial section on consensual sex between children of 16 years and above in the Penal Code of Bhutan.

The section states that a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of rape of a child above the age of twelve years if the defendant commits any act of sexual intercourse against a child between the ages of 12 to 18 years.

This section of the penal code was discussed last year but the House decided not to change the section.

The parliament will also debate on two new bills – Customs Bill and Civil Aviation Bill.

Besides the bills, the NA will ratify the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Motor Vehicle Agreement for the Regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic between Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal.